News Centre

10th Street Bridge Plans Unveiled

Engineers say work on the bridge in Owen Sound could take 7 to 12 months.

Can't play this file? Click here to download/listen -

The replacement of the 10th Street bridge in Owen Sound will likely see the complete closure to traffic for a period of 7-12 months once construction commences.

GM BluePlan Engineering project manager John Slocombe outlined preferred alternatives for the $7.5-million dollar bridge replacement at a public meeting at the Bayshore Community Centre Tuesday evening, saying the majority of construction work will take place in 2020.

The recommended plan to handle traffic flow during the bridge closure is to divert the majority of through-traffic to the by-pass between Springmount and Rockford, while optimizing existing nearby routes in Owen Sound -- such as 8th Street and 9th Street -- to handle increased loads.

The project is being fast-tracked as a $3-million grant the city is receiving through the province's Connecting Links program has a March 31, 2021 deadline.

The substantial completion target is Dec. 31, 2020.

"As soon as we can start, the better," says Slocombe. "We're restricted by frost conditions in the spring, in-water timing windows and winter construction."

Slocombe says there are two construction timelines still under consideration.

One would see work commence in August 2019 with the bridge being closed for a period of 12 months. The second alternative would see work get underway in June 2020 -- leaving the bridge out for about seven months.

"We're looking at a couple of different options and also working with the Ministry of Natural Resources and Forestry, and Department of Fisheries and Oceans, to see if we can do in-water work outside of the usual timing window," Slocombe explains.

As for the bridge itself, Slocombe says it will feature five lanes, similar to the current configuration.

It will be a precast concrete girder style bridge, which Slocombe says would look almost identical to the 9th Street bridge.

The projected lifespan of the new bridge would be approximately 100 years.

The city and GM BluePlan will be accepting public comments on the bridge replacement plan until August 7, 2018.

Once the comment period closes, consultants will deliver a formal recommendation to city council sometime in late August or early September.